Pickering casino proposal marathon meeting forced to halt at 1 a.m.

Pickering politicians will pick up Durham Live debate next week

Durham Live Development

Jason Liebregts / Metroland

PICKERING -- Dayna Gilbert, urban planner, and Katarzyna Sliwa, both representing Durham Live, spoke at Pickering Council. The city's planning and development committee is considering a new staff report that recommends endorsing a re-zoning application for the proposed Durham Live development, which could include a casino. September 2, 2014

Durham Live Development

Jason Liebregts / Metroland

PICKERING -- Dayna Gilbert, urban planner, and Katarzyna Sliwa, both representing Durham Live, spoke at Pickering Council. The city's planning and development committee is considering a new staff report that recommends endorsing a re-zoning application for the proposed Durham Live development, which could include a casino. September 2, 2014

Durham Live site

The Durham Live casino is proposed to be built on the Ajax-Pickering border.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live sign

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live land

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Casino, waterpark, hotels proposed for Pickering

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Development

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

Durham Live Church Street

Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

PICKERING -- The City of Pickering has received a rezoning application for a significant new development proposal on the land located on the northwest corner of Church Street and Bayly Street. Referred to as Durham Live, the proposal is to rezone the subject lands to permit a broad range of attractions, such as a casino, hotel, convention centre, performing arts centre, outdoor amphitheatre and waterpark. February 26, 2014.

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The Sept. 2 meeting of council’s planning and development committee started at 7 p.m. and continued for a marathon six hours, before the City’s curfew kicked in.

Pickering’s procedural bylaw requires council meetings to wrap up by midnight.

A motion can be made to continue for one hour past that point, but once the clock strikes 1 a.m. all unfinished business must be deferred to the next regular meeting.

Discussion of the Durham Live issue will resume Monday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. and will be followed by council’s regularly scheduled executive committee meeting.

The hot topic on Tuesday’s agenda was a new City report that recommends endorsing an application to re-zone three pieces of land near Bayly and Church streets to pave the way for a $1.6 billion development dubbed “Durham Live.”

Pickering Developments Inc. is proposing to build the project over 15 to 20 years and has offered up a long list of possible amenities for the site ranging from upscale hotels and a water park, to a film studio and casino.

Mention of a casino has sparked intense debate in recent months.

However, a spokeswoman for the developer told committee there has been a lot of “misinformation” on that front.

“The proposal is not just for a casino,” said Katarzyna Sliwa, a lawyer representing the developer. “We’re not denying that a casino would be an income generator, but it’s not the only part of this proposal.”

Ms. Sliwa noted the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will only locate a gaming facility in a community that wants one, and stressed Pickering residents will have an opportunity to weigh in through a referendum question on the Oct. 27 municipal election ballot.

More than 100 people packed Pickering council chambers for Tuesday night’s meeting.

Not everyone had a chance to speak before the 1 a.m. cutoff -- but many did voice opinions.

Pickering resident Andrew Larter, 20, told committee he has “a slew of qualms and concerns” with the proposal.

He said the scale of the project will overwhelm the infrastructure in the area and called it an example of “poor urban design” that is not compatible with surrounding land uses.

“We do not want a casino or a major tourism development foisted upon us without sufficient consultation and sufficient discussion,” he noted.

Chief Kelly LaRocca of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation expressed concern that a casino in Pickering would “cannibalize” customers from Great Blue Heron Charity Casino in Scugog.

She said Great Blue Heron, owned by the First Nations, is the largest employer in north Durham, offering 1,100 jobs.

“I’m here to protect these jobs and the economic impact they create,” she said.

The Scugog Island First Nation recently commissioned a poll that asked residents in Ajax and Pickering whether they would be opposed to a new or expanded casino within five kilometres of their home.

According to the survey, which took into account the opinions of 500 residents, nearly 60 per cent of respondents in the two lakeshore communities said they would be reluctant to see the availability of gambling facilities expanded.

“The people of Pickering and Ajax don’t want another casino...especially close to their homes,” the chief said.

Other concerns raised by residents included the social impacts of gaming facilities, traffic congestion and the impact of a casino on local businesses.

City staff said traffic impacts can be addressed with infrastructure improvements, including a Hwy. 401 underpass connection between Squires Beach Road and Notion Road and a partial interchange to and from the west on Hwy. 401 at Church Street.

The lands in question total about 90 hectares and are bounded by Hwy. 401 and GO Transit rail to the north, Church Street to the east, Bayly Street to the south and CN Rail tracks to the west.

The new report from City development staff recommends that the re-zoning application from Durham Live be endorsed, saying it represents good planning.

“The subject property is appropriately located and of sufficient size to facilitate the development of a major tourist destination that would be of significant benefit to the City and the Region,” the report notes. “Moreover, the proposed development readily allows for a broad and unique range of employment uses that could not easily (if at all) be located elsewhere in the City.”

The report also says Durham Live could provide “significant positive financial and economic benefits to the City in terms of jobs, tax assessment and other potential revenues to the City.”

Pickering-Scarborough East MPP Tracy MacCharles attended Tuesday’s meeting and said the potential for jobs is noteworthy.

“Jobs is a huge issue that holds a lot of interest for people in Pickering...especially jobs that are here in the community where people live,” she said, noting that Pickering is also in need of more hotels and performing arts venues.